Method for conserving power using a wireless card reader

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, and apparatus, for conserving power in a system, comprising: (a) receiving a card interaction from a card at a card interface of the system, where the system comprises components including: a microcontroller, one or more card interfaces, a power source, an antenna, and a wake-up circuit, where the components are powered down, and where the card interaction triggers the wake-up circuit; (b) activating a power source using a signal from the wake-up circuit; (c) powering the microcontroller using the power source and in response to powering the microcontroller: (i) powering down the wake-up circuit; (ii) powering up the card and the respective card interface associated with the card interaction; (iii) receiving card data from the card through the card interface; (iv) powering down the card and the respective card interface; (v) powering up the antenna; and (vi) sending the card data using the antenna.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/667,353, filed Jul. 2, 2012, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a mobile card reader.

BACKGROUND

Generally, a merchant uses a terminal to process a transaction. Theterminal is connected, usually with wires, to a cash register and to anInternet connection. Some terminals process chip cards; for suchterminals a card is inserted into the terminal and the user enters aPersonal Identification Number (PIN) on a keypad of the terminal. Otherterminals process magnetic stripe cards; for such terminals the card isswiped through a slot.

Mobile card readers are available for magnetic stripe cards. Some mobilecard readers use WiFi technology to communicate with the credit cardprocessor via a wireless network access point. Some mobile card readers,e.g., in taxies, use cellular technology to communicate wirelessly withthe credit card processor.

In a conventional point of sale electronic credit card presenttransaction, the transaction is authorized and captured. In theauthorization stage, a physical credit card with a magnetic stripe isswiped through a merchant's magnetic card reader, e.g., as part of apoint of sale device. A payment request is sent electronically from themagnetic card reader to a credit card processor. The credit cardprocessor routes the payment request to a card network, e.g., Visa orMastercard, which in turn routes the payment request to the card issuer,e.g., a bank. Assuming the card issuer approves the transaction, theapproval is then routed back to the merchant. In the capture stage, theapproved transaction is again routed from the merchant to the creditcard processor, card network and card issuer, and the payment requestcan include the cardholder's signature (if appropriate). The capturestate can trigger the financial transaction between the card issuer andthe merchant, and optionally creates a receipt. There can also be otherentities, e.g., the card acquirer, in the route of the transaction.Debit card transactions have a different routing, but also requireswiping of the card.

SUMMARY

Existing card readers are generally bulky and expensive. Some morerecent card readers are smaller but must be physically connected to amobile computing device, e.g., by plugging the card reader into an audioor USB port. In either case, the keypad and/or display requires a wiredconnection to the card reader. However, a wireless card readerconfigured to read a card can communicate wirelessly to a computingdevice, e.g., a smart phone, tablet computer, or the like. When the cardreader is connected wirelessly to the computing device, an applicationinstalled on the mobile computing device permits the computing device tocommunicate with the card reader and a card processor in order toprocess transactions. The application can generate a user interface on adisplay of the computing device for entry of a signature, PIN, or thelike. In some implementations, the card reader includes an element thata user can use for signature, PIN (e.g., hardware pin entry), or thelike.

The wireless card reader can be power efficient by powering its internalcomponents as needed. Internal components can include a chip card readerinterface, a magnetic stripe reader interface, a power source, amicrocontroller, a wake up circuit, and an antenna. The microcontrollercan control power sequences in the card reader, thereby maximizing itsbattery life.

In one aspect, a payment card reader includes a microcontroller; one ormore card interfaces, where each of the one or more card interfaces isconfigured to communicate with the microcontroller; an antenna, wherethe antenna is configured to communicate with the microcontroller and,wirelessly, with a computing device; a wake-up circuit, where thewake-up circuit is configured to activate the microcontroller upon acard interaction at a corresponding card interface, where upon the cardinteraction, the microcontroller receives card data from thecorresponding card interface, processes and encrypts the data, and sendsthe card data to the antenna, and where the antenna sends and receivesdata wirelessly to and from the computing device, respectively, wherethe data includes the card data; and a power source, where the powersource powers one or more of the following: the microcontroller, the oneor more card reader interfaces, the antenna, and the wake-up circuit.

Implementation may include one or more of the following. The powersource includes a lithium ion battery. The power source includes arechargeable battery, where the rechargeable battery is recharged usingan external adapter or a Universal Serial Bus (USB). The one or morecard interfaces include one or more of the following: a magnetic stripereader interface, a chip card reader interface, and/or a contactlesscard reader interface (e.g., NFC reader). The magnetic stripe readerinterface is coupled to an accelerometer, where the accelerometer isused as a wake-up circuit. The microcontroller is configured to activateonly one of the chip card reader interface or the magnetic stripe readerinterface. The magnetic stripe reader interface and the chip card readerinterface are integrated as a combined device. The chip card readerinterface implements the Europay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV) protocol. Theantenna is a Bluetooth adapter and is an element that communicates usinga Bluetooth protocol. The antenna is a WiFi adapter and is an elementthat communicates through a WiFi network. The power source includes adirect current convertor, where the direct current convertor convertscurrent from the power source to usable power for the microcontroller,and where the microcontroller is powered by the usable power. Themicrocontroller is configured to power the antenna only after receipt ofcard data from the one or more interfaces. The card interaction is acard swipe or a card insertion.

In another aspect, a method for conserving power in a system includesreceiving a card interaction from a card at a card interface of thesystem, where the system comprises components including one or more ofthe following: a microcontroller, one or more card interfaces, a powersource, an antenna, and a wake-up circuit, where the components arepowered down, and where the card interaction triggers the wake-upcircuit; activating a power source using a signal from the wake-upcircuit; powering the microcontroller using the power source; inresponse to powering the microcontroller: powering down the wake-upcircuit; powering up, using the power source, the card and therespective card interface associated with the card interaction;receiving card data from the card through the card interface; poweringdown the card and the respective card interface; powering up theantenna; and sending the card data, to a computing device, using theantenna.

Implementation may include one or more of the following. The one or morecard interfaces includes one or more of the following: a magnetic cardstripe reader interface or a chip card reader interface. The chip cardreader interface implements the Europay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV)protocol. The card interaction is one of the following: a card swipe ora card insertion. In response to sending the card data, furthercomprising: receiving, from the computing device, response data;powering up the card and the respective card interface; sending theresponse data to the card through the respective card interface. Inresponse to sending the response data, further comprising: receivingauthentication data from the card through the respective card interface;sending the authentication data to the computing device using theantenna; and powering down the antenna. The card data includes asignature, an authentication notification for a transaction, a cardnumber, an expiry date, or a name. The response data includes a passcodeinputted by a user or transaction data. The antenna is a Bluetoothadapter and communicates using a Bluetooth protocol. The antenna is aWiFi adapter and communicates through a WiFi network. The power sourceincludes a lithium ion battery. The power source includes a rechargeablebattery, where the rechargeable battery is recharged using an externaladapter or a Universal Serial Bus (USB). The power source includes adirect current convertor, where the direct current convertor convertscurrent from the power source to usable power for the microcontroller,and where the microcontroller is powered by the usable power.

In another aspect, a card reader that communicates wirelessly includes aframe, where the frame includes a top surface, side surfaces, and abottom surface, one or more of the side surfaces including one or moreopenings to receive cards through, respectively, one or more cardinterfaces; circuitry configured to direct signals from the one or morecard interfaces to a microcontroller in the card reader; and circuitryconfigured to communicate wirelessly between the card reader and acomputing device. In some examples, the card reader does not include anyof the following: external wiring, a keypad, or a display. In otherexamples, the card reader can include a pin entry keypad or display.

Implementation may include one or more of the following. The one or morecard interfaces include one or more of the following: a magnetic stripereader interface or a chip card reader interface. The one or moreopenings include grooves and a slot for a smart chip card and a magneticstripe card, respectively. Circuitry configured to efficiently power thecard reader. The frame is rectangular.

In another aspect, a card reader that communicates wirelessly includes aframe, where the frame includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a firstside surface, and a second side surface, a second side surface of theside surfaces on an opposite side of the frame from the first sidesurface, the first side surface including a groove configured to receivea swipe of a magnetic stripe card, the second side surface including aslot configured to receive insertion of a chip card; a magnetic stripereader interface including magnetic read heads positioned in the frameto read a stripe of the magnetic stripe card as it is swiped through thegroove; a chip card reader interface including electrical contactspositioned in the frame to contact contacts of the chip card when it isinserted into the slot; circuitry configured to direct signals magneticstripe reader interface and the chip card reader interface to amicrocontroller in the card reader; and circuitry configured tocommunicate wirelessly between the card reader and a computing device.

Implementations may include one or more of the following. A wake-upcircuit, where the wake-up circuit is configured to activate themicrocontroller upon a card interaction at a corresponding cardinterface, where upon the card interaction, the microcontroller receivescard data from the corresponding card interface and sends the card datato the circuitry configured to communicate wirelessly, and where thecircuitry configured to communicate wirelessly sends and receives datato and from the computing device, respectively, where the data includesthe card data. The magnetic stripe reader interface is coupled to anaccelerometer, where the accelerometer triggers or functions as thewake-up circuit. The microcontroller is configured to activate only oneof the chip card reader interface or the magnetic stripe readerinterface. The card interaction is a card swipe or a card insertion. Apower source, where the power source powers one or more of thefollowing: the magnetic stripe reader interface, the chip card readerinterface, the circuitry configured to direct signals, and the circuitryconfigured to communicate wirelessly. The power source includes arechargeable battery, where the rechargeable battery is recharged usingan external adapter or a Universal Serial Bus (USB). The microcontrolleris configured to power the circuitry configured to communicatewirelessly only after receipt of card data from the magnetic stripereader interface or the chip card reader interface. The magnetic stripereader interface and the chip card reader interface are integrated as acombined device. The chip card reader interface implements the Europay,Mastercard, Visa (EMV) protocol.

Advantages may include one or more of the following. A computing devicecan communicate with a card reader wirelessly, allowing a user, e.g., amerchant or a customer, to interface with the card reader withoutinterference from a wire. A merchant can use the wireless card reader toimprove a buying experience for a customer. For example, the merchantcan allow the customer to swipe the customer's own card at the cardreader while the merchant finalizes transaction details on the computingdevice. The card reader can run power efficiently to maximize batterylife. The card reader can also be turned on through a card interactionand does not require a power switch, e.g., an on/off button, foroperation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an example system for conducting atransaction using a wireless card reader.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of example architecture of a wireless card reader.

FIGS. 3A-3D are diagrams of an example power sequence for a mobile cardreader that is power efficient.

FIG. 4A is an example perspective view of a wireless card reader with asmart chip card being inserted.

FIG. 4B is an example perspective view of a wireless card reader with amagnetic stripe card being swiped.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an example system 100 forconducting a transaction using a wireless card reader. A transaction caninclude reading cards such as payment cards (e.g., credit cards),drivers license cards, identification cards, etc. The system 100 iscapable of processing a payment transaction between a mobile computingdevice 102 and a wireless card reader 104.

The computing device 102 can be a mobile device or a desktop device.Mobile devices include smart phones, tablet computers, laptops, or othermobile data processing apparatus. The computing device 102 can be otherreaders, e.g., card readers, or existing point of sale systems.

The wireless card reader 104 can process magnetic stripe cards or smartchip cards. Smart chip cards can be processed according to the Europay,Mastercard, Visa (EMV) protocol. In some implementations, the wirelesscard reader 104 processes cards using Near Field Communication (NFC)hardware and the NFC protocol. The wireless card reader 104 is builtonly with one or more mechanisms to receive cards and to communicatewirelessly with the computing device 102. Thus, the wireless card readercan be smaller, lighter and simpler than card readers with integratedkeypads or displays. The wireless card reader 104 need not include akeypad, a display, an interface for receiving signatures, e.g., a touchscreen display, or a cellular connection to a payment processing systemon an external network, e.g., the Internet.

The computing device 102 can communicate with the wireless card reader104 wirelessly. Wireless communication can be over a wireless local areanetwork or shorter range wireless network, and can occur in many forms,e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, or NFC. In some implementations, a Bluetooth LowEnergy protocol is used. The wireless card reader 104 can broadcast datato the computing device 102 and vice-versa. In alternativeimplementations, the wireless card reader 104 and the computing device102 undergo a pairing process before establishing communication toverify a source and destination for data transfer.

For a payment transaction using a magnetic stripe card, a card can beswiped at the wireless card reader 104. The wireless card reader 104sends card data of the magnetic stripe card to the computing device 102using an antenna. The computing device 102 can be waiting to receivecard data from the wireless card reader 104, e.g., by scanning forBluetooth data broadcasts. The remainder of the transaction can occurbetween the computing device 102 and other card processing systems.

For a payment transaction using a smart chip card, a card can beinserted into the card reader 104 so that the reader engages electricalcontacts for a microchip on the card. The card reader 104 sends a PINrequest to the computing device 102 using the antenna. The computingdevice 102 receives a PIN from the user, e.g., entered through a userinterface on or connected to the computing device, and sends the PIN tothe card reader 104 for confirmation, e.g., wirelessly. The card reader104 sends the PIN to the card, which contains a chip with an embeddedPIN. The card compares the received PIN to the embedded PIN. If the PINsmatch, the card sends a confirmation to the card reader 104, which sendsthe confirmation to the computing device 102 wirelessly.

After receiving data, e.g., card data or a confirmation, from either themagnetic stripe card or the smart chip card, the computing device 102can transmit an authorization for transaction to a secure server 108 forpayment processing, e.g. by using an external network such as theInternet 106. The secure server 108 can relay the transaction to thecard issuer 104, which ultimately approves or denies the transaction.The card issuer 104 can communicate the approval or denial to the secureserver 108, which can relay the card issuer's approval or denial to thecomputing device 102.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of example architecture 200 of a wireless cardreader. The wireless card reader includes a microcontroller 202, a powersource 204, a wake up circuit 212, and an antenna 210. The wireless cardreader can also include one or more card reader interfaces, e.g., amagnetic stripe reader interface 206 and a chip card reader interface208.

The microcontroller 202 manages each component in the wireless cardreader. The microcontroller 202 can power on or off any individualcomponent, e.g., using the power source 204, and can communicate betweenthe components, e.g., transfer data from a card reader interface 206,208 to the antenna 210.

In some implementations, the magnetic stripe reader interface 206 andthe chip card reader interface 208 are combined into one card interfacethat can process both types of cards.

The wake up circuit 212 can be installed into individual card interfacesor the combined card interface to trigger a wakeup of themicrocontroller 202 upon a card interaction, e.g., a card swipe at orcard insertion into the card interface. The wake up circuit 212 caninclude one or more amplifiers, capacitors for signal filtering,comparators, and sensors that detect signals from the one or more cardinterfaces.

In some implementations, the power source 204 is a rechargeable battery,e.g., a lithium ion battery. The power source 204 in the wireless cardreader can be recharged using an external adapter or a Universal SerialBus (USB) port. In some examples, the power source 204 can be rechargedvia electrical contacts in the wireless card reader. In other examples,the external adapter recharges the power source through induction. Insome other examples, the external adapter provides power by engagingwith unused electrical contacts of one of the card interfaces, e.g., thechip card reader interface.

In some implementations, the power source includes a direct currentconvertor. The direct current convertor can convert power from the powersource into usable power for the microcontroller. The microcontrollercan use the usable power to perform operations of the wireless cardreader.

FIGS. 3A-3D are diagrams of an example power sequence for a mobile cardreader that is power efficient. The mobile card reader can be powered sothat each component is powered only when the component is in use. Inother words, no components are running idly. In a typical paymenttransaction, the wake up circuit 212 is powered first, followed by themicrocontroller 202, followed by one or more card reader interfaces 206,208, and finally followed by the antenna 210.

FIG. 3A is a diagram of a wireless card reader with a wake up circuit212 that is powered up, e.g., the box that is bolded, while othercomponents in the wireless card reader are powered down, e.g., boxesthat are not bolded. Prior to the wake up circuit 212 being powered up,each component is powered down. The wake up circuit 212 is configured tobe triggered, e.g., powered on, upon detecting a card interaction. Thecard interaction can be a card swipe at a magnetic strip reader 206interface or a card insertion at a chip card reader interface 208. Insome implementations, upon receiving a card interaction from a user, thewake up circuit 212 is powered on.

In some implementations, the wake up circuit 212 notifies themicrocontroller 202 of the type of card interaction that triggered thewake up circuit 212. This allows the microcontroller 202 to allocatepower to the appropriate card reader interface. For example, if the cardinteraction is a card swipe, the wake up circuit 212 can send a “cardswipe” signal to the microcontroller 202, which then powers the magneticcard stripe reader 206 but not the chip card reader 208. On the otherhand, if the card interaction is a card insertion, the wake up circuit212 can send a “card insertion” signal to the microcontroller 202, whichthen powers the chip card reader 208 but not the magnetic card stripereader 206.

In some implementations, a card that is swiped or inserted into thereader physically engage distinct mechanical switches in the magneticcard stripe reader 206 and the chip card reader 208, respectively. Insome examples, one or more mechanical switches are in communication withthe read head, a spring in the reader, or a slot in the card reader.Swiping or inserting a card into the slot in the card reader can engagethe mechanical switches. In some implementations, the swiping or theinserting generates enough voltage to activate the wake up circuit 212.Engaging the distinct mechanical switches can cause distinct signals,which indicate the type of card interaction, to be sent to themicrocontroller 202. In alternative implementations, the microcontroller202 distinguishes card interaction by determining whether data comesfrom read heads of the magnetic card stripe reader 206 or chip contactsof the chip card reader 208.

The microcontroller 202 can be triggered through other methods. In someimplementations, the wireless card reader includes an accelerometer.Motion of the accelerometer generates a signal, which triggers a wake upof the wireless card reader. For example, if a user picks up thewireless card reader from a table, the accelerometer can send a signalto wake up the microcontroller 202. In some other implementations, atouch sensor, e.g., capacitive touch sensor, is included on a surface ofthe wireless card reader. The touch sensor can trigger a wake up of themicrocontroller 202 upon touch detection, e.g., a user holds thewireless card reader.

FIG. 3B is a diagram of a wireless card reader with a microcontroller202 that is powered up by a power source 204 while other components inthe wireless card reader are powered down. After an initial cardinteraction, the wake up circuit 212 activates the microcontroller 202and the power source 204, which powers the components, including themicrocontroller 202, in the wireless card reader.

In some implementations, once the microcontroller 202 is activated bythe wake up circuit 212, the microcontroller 202 powers down the wake upcircuit 212. In alternative implementations, the wake up circuit 212automatically powers down by itself.

FIG. 3C is a diagram of a wireless card reader with a microcontroller202 and card reader interfaces 206, 208 that are powered up by a powersource 204 while other components in the wireless card reader arepowered down. As described above, the microcontroller 202 can power upthe appropriate card reader interface, and not multiple interfaces, tosave power. The appropriate card reader interface can send card data tothe microcontroller. The card data can include data identifying thecard, e.g., a card number, or other commands, e.g., a command to receivea PIN entry from a user.

FIG. 3D is a diagram of a wireless card reader with a microcontroller202 and an antenna 210 that are powered up by a power source 204 whileother components in the wireless card reader are powered down. Themicrocontroller 202 receives card data from an appropriate card readerinterface and can power down the appropriate card reader interface whilepowering up the antenna 210. In some implementations, the antenna is aBluetooth adapter that communicates using a Bluetooth protocol, e.g.,Bluetooth Low Energy (LE). In alternative implementations, the antennais a WiFi adapter that communicates through a WiFi network. Themicrocontroller 202 sends the card data to the antenna 210, which sendsthe card data to a computing device.

In some implementations, once the card data is sent to the computingdevice, the microcontroller 202 powers down the antenna 210, and thenpowers itself down. The wireless card reader then is completely poweredoff and can be powered on again through the wake up circuit 212.

In some implementations, the wireless card reader may be processing atransaction following the EMV protocol, which requires more than onecommunication round trip between the wireless card reader and acomputing device before the transaction is approved. Therefore, if themicrocontroller 202 should expect a response from the computing deviceaccording to the protocol, the microcontroller 202 does not power downthe antenna 210 after sending card data to the computing device.Instead, the microcontroller 202 can power the antenna 210 at a state,e.g., a low-power state, so that the antenna 210 can receive datatransmission from the computing device. After receiving data from thecomputing device, the microcontroller 202 powers up an appropriate cardinterface and provides the data to the card interface, if necessary. Forexample, in the EMV protocol, the microcontroller 202 can receive auser-entered PIN through the antenna 210 and send the PIN to the chipcard reader interface 208, which sends the PIN to a smart chip card fora PIN comparison.

When communicating between the wireless card reader and the computingdevice, communication can be encrypted. Encrypted communications betweena mobile card reader and a computing device is described in US patentapplication (Ser. No. 61/658,828), filed on Jun. 12, 2012, entitled“Software Pin Entry,” which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety. The wireless card reader can include a unique identificationand/or cryptographic key, e.g., installed in read-only memory of thewireless card reader.

FIG. 4A is an example perspective view 400 of a wireless card reader 402with a smart chip card 404 being inserted at a slot 408 of a chip cardreader interface 423. FIG. 4B is an example perspective view 412 of awireless card reader 400 with a magnetic stripe card 410 being swiped ata groove 406 of a magnetic stripe reader interface 429 that is oppositeto the chip card reader interface 423.

The wireless card reader 402 can have a frame that is configured toreceive card insertions or card swipes. The frame can include a topsurface 420, side surfaces 418, and a bottom surface 422. In theimplementations shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the wireless card reader 402has a frame that is shaped as a thin parallelepiped, e.g., the width ofthe frame (along the top surface 410) is at least five or ten times theheight (along the side surfaces 418). The top surface and bottom surfacecan be generally shaped as a square or rectangle, e.g., a square orrectangle with rounded edges.

The side surfaces 418 can include one or more openings that receivecards through, respectively, one or more card interfaces. The one ormore card interfaces include circuitry, e.g., chip card reader circuitry428 or magnetic stripe reader circuitry 430, configured to read datastored on the card. In some implementations, the wireless card readerhas two openings on opposite sides of the frame, and a card interfacewithin each opening.

The wireless card reader 402 can include circuitry configured to directsignals from the one or more card interfaces, to communicate wirelesslywith a computing device, and to efficiently power the wireless cardreader 402 as described above in reference to FIGS. 1-3. The one or morecard interfaces of the wireless card reader 402 can include both a chipcard reader interface 423 and a magnetic stripe reader interface 429. Insome implementations, the interfaces are on opposite sides of thewireless card reader 402 as shown in FIGS. 4A-B. In particular, the cardreader 402 can include both a groove 406 on one side surface of theframe and a slot 408 on an opposite side surface of the frame. Thegroove 406 can extend across the entire width of the frame, and can beconfigured to receive a swipe of a magnetic stripe card. The magneticstripe reader interface 429, including magnetic read heads 432positioned to read the magnetic information on the stripe of the card asit is being swiped, are positioned in the groove 406. The slot 408 canextend across part, but not all of the width of the frame, leaving oneor more thin side walls 424 to constrain the lateral position of a chipcard as it is inserted into the slot 408. The chip card reader interface423, including electrical contacts 426 positioned to electrically engagethe contacts on the chip card when it is inserted, are positioned in theslot 408.

In alternative implementations, the interfaces are on the same side ofthe wireless card reader 402 and share an opening for receiving smartchip cards and magnetic stripe cards. In some implementations, aspring-loaded gate is included within the slot 408 of a chip card readerinterface 423. The spring-loaded gate can be configured to engage theelectrical contacts 426 with the contacts of a chip card when a chipcard is inserted. On the other hand, the spring-loaded gate keeps theelectrical contacts 426 recessed so a card being swiped does not engagewith the electrical contacts 426.

In some implementations, the chip card reader interface 423 isconfigured to receive an external adapter through the electricalcontacts 426. The external adapter can provide power to recharge thewireless card reader 402, e.g., by engaging the electrical contacts 426.The external adapter can connect the chip card reader interface 423 to aUSB port or power supply. The external adapter can also provide softwareupdates to the wireless card reader 402. In some implementations, thewireless card reader 402 includes one or more light emitting diodes(LED) 422 that indicate a state (e.g., sleep, wake,transmission/receiving data, etc.) of the wireless card reader 402. Thestate can include whether the wireless card reader 402 is communicatingwith a computing device. For example, the LED 422 can display whetherthe wireless card reader 402 receives an acknowledgement signal or istransmitting data to a computing device. The state can also indicatewhether the wireless card reader 402 is powered on. The indication canbe represented through lighting effects, e.g., color, blinking, orfading of the LED.

An LED 422 can be included near one or more of the card readerinterfaces, e.g., on a side 418 of the wireless card reader 402. An LEDcan also be included on a body portion 420 of the wireless card reader402, e.g., at a center or a corner of the wireless card reader 402.

Embodiments of the subject matter and the operations described in thisspecification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or incomputer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structuresdisclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or incombinations of one or more of them. Embodiments of the subject matterdescribed in this specification can be implemented as one or morecomputer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer programinstructions, encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium forexecution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.Alternatively or in addition, the program instructions can be encoded onan artificially-generated propagated signal, e.g., a machine-generatedelectrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated toencode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus forexecution by a data processing apparatus. A computer storage medium canbe, or be included in, a computer-readable storage device, acomputer-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memoryarray or device, or a combination of one or more of them. Moreover,while a computer storage medium is not a propagated signal, a computerstorage medium can be a source or destination of computer programinstructions encoded in an artificially-generated propagated signal. Thecomputer storage medium can also be, or be included in, one or moreseparate physical components or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, orother storage devices).

The operations described in this specification can be implemented asoperations performed by a data processing apparatus on data stored onone or more computer-readable storage devices or received from othersources.

The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all kinds of apparatus,devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example aprogrammable processor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multipleones, or combinations, of the foregoing. The apparatus can includespecial purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gatearray) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Theapparatus can also include, in addition to hardware, code that createsan execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g.,code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, a cross-platform runtimeenvironment, a virtual machine, or a combination of one or more of them.The apparatus and execution environment can realize various differentcomputing model infrastructures, such as web services, distributedcomputing and grid computing infrastructures.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, script, or code) can be written in any form of programminglanguage, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative orprocedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as astand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, orother unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computerprogram may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. Aprogram can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programsor data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup languageresource), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or inmultiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules,sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployedto be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are locatedat one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by acommunication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform actions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for performing actions in accordance with instructions andone or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally,a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive datafrom or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices forstoring data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks.However, a computer need not have such devices. Moreover, a computer canbe embedded in another device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console,a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, or a portable storage device(e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive), to name just a few.Devices suitable for storing computer program instructions and datainclude all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices,including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM,EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal harddisks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROMdisks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, orincorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subjectmatter described in this specification can be implemented on a computerhaving a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquidcrystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and akeyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by whichthe user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices canbe used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example,feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g.,visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input fromthe user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, ortactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user bysending resources to and receiving resources from a device that is usedby the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on auser's client device in response to requests received from the webbrowser.

Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can beimplemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component,e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g.,an application server, or that includes a front-end component, e.g., aclient computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browserthrough which a user can interact with an implementation of the subjectmatter described in this specification, or any combination of one ormore such back-end, middleware, or front-end components.

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In someembodiments, a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a clientdevice (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receiving userinput from a user interacting with the client device). Data generated atthe client device (e.g., a result of the user interaction) can bereceived from the client device at the server.

A system of one or more computers can be configured to performparticular operations or actions by virtue of having software, firmware,hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that inoperation causes or cause the system to perform the actions. One or morecomputer programs can be configured to perform particular operations oractions by virtue of including instructions that, when executed by dataprocessing apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the actions.

While this specification contains many specific implementation details,these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of anyinventions or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions offeatures specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions.Certain features that are described in this specification in the contextof separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in asingle embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described inthe context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multipleembodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover,although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the embodiments described above should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should beunderstood that the described program components and systems cangenerally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in adifferent order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, theprocesses depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarilyrequire the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achievedesirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallelprocessing may be advantageous.

Thus, particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described.Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. Forexample, usage of the wireless card reader may not be limited tofinancial transactions but could also be applied to other environments,such as processing driver's licenses.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for conserving power in a system,comprising: (a) receiving a card interaction from a card at a first cardinterface of the system, where the system comprises components includingone or more of the following: a microcontroller, at least a second cardinterfaces, a power source, an antenna for wirelessly communicating carddata, and a wake-up circuit, where the components are powered down, andwhere the card interaction triggers the wake-up circuit; (b) activatinga power source using a signal from the wake-up circuit; (c) powering themicrocontroller using the power source and in response to powering themicrocontroller: (i) powering down the wake-up circuit; (ii) poweringup, using the power source, the card and the first card interfaceassociated with the card interaction; (iii) powering down the secondcard interface when the first card interface reads the card; (iv)receiving card data from the card through the first card interface; (v)powering down the card and the first card interface after receiving thecard data; (vi) powering up the antenna; and (vii) sending the carddata, to a computing device, using the antenna.
 2. The method of claim1, where the first card interface and the second card interface includesone or more of the following: a magnetic card stripe reader interface,contactless card reader interface, or a chip card reader interface. 3.The method of claim 2, where the chip card reader interface implementsthe Europay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV) protocol.
 4. The method of claim 1,where the card interaction is one of the following: a card swipe or acard insertion.
 5. The method of claim 1, in response to sending thecard data, further comprising: receiving, from the computing device,response data; powering up the card and the first card interface;sending the response data to the card through the first card interface.6. The method of claim 1, in response to sending the response data,further comprising: receiving authentication data from the card throughthe first card interface; sending the authentication data to thecomputing device using the antenna; and powering down the antenna. 7.The method of claim 1, where the card data includes a signature, anauthentication notification for a transaction, a card number, an expirydate, or a name.
 8. The method of claim 1, where the response dataincludes a passcode inputted by a user or transaction data.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, where the antenna is a Bluetooth adapter andcommunicates using a Bluetooth protocol.
 10. The method of claim 1,where the antenna is a WiFi adapter and communicates through a WiFinetwork.
 11. The method of claim 1, where the power source includes alithium ion battery.
 12. The method of claim 1, where the power sourceincludes a rechargeable battery, where the rechargeable battery isrecharged using an external adapter or a Universal Serial Bus (USB). 13.The method of claim 1, where the power source includes a direct currentconvertor, where the direct current convertor converts current from thepower source to usable power for the microcontroller, and where themicrocontroller is powered by the usable power.
 14. A payment cardreader, comprising: a microcontroller; a first card interfaces and atleast one other card interface, where each of the card interfaces isconfigured to communicate with the microcontroller; an antenna, wherethe antenna is configured to communicate with the microcontroller and,wirelessly, with a computing device; a wake-up circuit, where thewake-up circuit is configured to activate the microcontroller upon acard interaction at the first card interface, where upon the cardinteraction, the microcontroller powers up the first card interface andpowers down the wake-up circuit and the at least one other cardinterface, where the microcontroller receives card data from the firstcard interface and powers down the first card interface after receivingthe card data, where the microcontroller powers up the antenna and sendsthe card data to the antenna, and where the antenna sends and receivesdata wirelessly to and from the computing device, respectively, wherethe data includes the card data; and a power source, where the powersource powers one or more of the following: the microcontroller, the oneor more card reader interfaces, the antenna, and the wake-up circuit.15. The reader of claim 14, where the power source includes a lithiumion battery.
 16. The reader of claim 14, where the power source includesa rechargeable battery, where the rechargeable battery is rechargedusing an external adapter or a Universal Serial Bus (USB).
 17. Thereader of claim 16, where the external adapter is a connector thatengages with electrical contacts of one of the card interfaces.
 18. Thereader of claim 16, where the external adapter recharges the powersource through induction.
 19. The reader of claim 14, where the cardinterfaces include one or more of the following: a magnetic stripereader interface, a chip card reader interface, contactless card readerinterface, or a combined interface for magnetic stripe cards and chipcards.
 20. The reader of claim 19, where the combined interface includesa spring loaded gate, where if a card is inserted at the combinedinterface, electrical contacts of the spring loaded gate are engagedwith the card, and where if the card is swiped at the combinedinterface, the electrical contacts are recessed from the card.
 21. Thereader of claim 20, where the magnetic stripe reader interface iscoupled to an accelerometer, where the accelerometer triggers orfunctions as the wake-up circuit.
 22. The reader of claim 20, where themicrocontroller is configured to activate only one of the chip cardreader interface or the magnetic stripe reader interface.
 23. The readerof claim 20, where the magnetic stripe reader interface and the chipcard reader interface are integrated as a combined device.
 24. Thereader of claim 20, where the chip card reader interface implements theEuropay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV) protocol.
 25. The reader of claim 14,where the antenna is a Bluetooth adapter and communicates using aBluetooth protocol.
 26. The reader of claim 14, where the antenna is aWiFi adapter and communicates through a WiFi network.
 27. The reader ofclaim 14, where the power source includes a direct current convertor,where the direct current convertor converts current from the powersource to usable power for the microcontroller, and where themicrocontroller is powered by the usable power.
 28. The reader of claim14, where the microcontroller is configured to power the antenna onlyafter receipt of card data from the one or more interfaces.
 29. Thereader of claim 14, where the card interaction is a card swipe or a cardinsertion.